Record: 2-3 (1-1 vs. Angels, 1-2 vs. Pirates)
The Cubs spent the early part of the week visiting their retired old buddy Albert Pujols in California for two exhibition games against the former Cardinal slugger’s slo-pitch softball team, the Los Angeles Anaheim Mighty Ducks of Angels. The teams split the two games, the series highlighted by Anthony Rizzo mashing a 10th inning bases loaded double to win Wednesday’s game 8-6 (and, in the tradition of casual softball, Rizzo enjoyed a keg stand on second base).
The weekend’s brutal series loss and horrific blood letting to the Pirates shocked those Cub fans who haven’t read Ronnie R.R. Wickers novel “Game of Cubs.” And even those fans who did read of the horrific chapter known as “Pirate Wedding” were still somehow caught off-guard as they watched former American League batting practice pitchers Jason Grilli, A.J. Burnett and Francisco Liriano cut down Cub batter after Cub batter, brutally so in most cases.
Strugglin’ Starlin Castro seemed to bat in every position in the batting order except the position that produces hits as his average dropped down to .243. Kevin Gregg picked up a win and a save and Edwin Jackson lowered his ERA to 5.76.
With the pitchers not producing at the plate as they did in May, the team only managed 17 runs the entire week (usually Travis Wood drives in that many his darn self in a week).
MVP: The schedule maker, for sandwiching off-days on either side of the two-game trip to SoCal. Cub players were able to tell reporters they were going to Disneyland and then they did go (although Darwin Barney was not tall enough to ride most attractions).
LVP: Theo Epstein. Five year plans are stupid, let’s win now. Make some magic happen, go to your little Starbucks across the street, get a grande double caff drizzle and make some moves. Looking up at the Pirates in the standings sucks.
Ask the Magic 8-Ball: Will the fans in the right field bleachers get their act together and not ‘suck’?
Magic 8-Ball says: “You may rely on it”
